#ClimateWalk: For justice and the environment

Leon Dulce

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#ClimateWalk: For justice and the environment
'The unity amidst this diversity was clear – that the people of the world demand our leaders to take concrete action on all fronts of the climate crisis'

Over 400,000 people came out to attend 2,808 walks, marches, rallies and other actions in 166 countries around the world. The numbers of the momentous People’s Climate March (PCM), held prior to a United Nations Climate Summit of world leaders, made it the largest mobilization confronting the climate crisis history has ever seen – and Filipinos across the globe were part of it.

The marchers came out with a huge range of climate change concerns, from conserving wildlife to addressing world hunger; from confronting disasters to opposing coal-fired power plants; and from promoting lifestyle change to challenging imperialism and struggling for system change.

Unity amidst diversity

But the unity amidst this diversity was clear – that the people of the world demand our leaders to take concrete action on all fronts of the climate crisis. The PCMs that we Filipinos mounted reflected this diversity.

In Metro Manila, we marched together with the Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment and 350.org Pilipinas to the historic Mendiola Peace Arch to spell out “JUSTICE” in human formation. We reminded the national government of the plight of Yolanda victims amidst news that contingency, rehabilitation, and other public funds  corrupted through the pork barrel system.

MARCH. Filipinos join the global call for nation leaders to take concrete action against climate change. Photo by Hersley-Ven Casero

Yolanda survivors continue to face injustice almost 11 months after one of the most powerful typhoons in world history leveled Central Philippines with severe gales and storm surges. Many are still living in tent cities and deprived of much-needed social services, and dispossessed of their homes and livelihood because of a “no-build zone” policy on coastal areas.

In Dumaguete City, university students and environmental advocates under the Save Mount Talinis Movement filled their march with banners, street dances, and theater, representing their calls to save Mount Talinis. A majestic peak in a 15,287-hectare forest biodiversity hotspot, its flora and fauna are threatened by expansion plans of an Energy Development Corporation (EDC) geothermal project.

The marchers registered their opposition to EDC’s project expansion, which has already cut down 576 trees in the watershed of Mount Talinis without prior community consultation. They also fear that geothermal operations could potentially pollute or deplete their water supplies as well.

In Davao City, cyclists from the Fight the Unrest against Carbon Kollective held a climate ride to call for a transition transportation independent from fossil fuels, noting that the oil industry is responsible not only for GHG emissions but also for wars of aggression such as in the Middle East.

Protesters during the commemmoration of the declaration of martial law also expressed solidarity with the PCM, with environmental advocates bringing placards calling for the stoppage of coal-fired power plants and large-scale mining in their region, and the development of renewable energy.

Justice and solidarity

Through the support of solidarity groups, Filipino activists – including leaders of the People Surge Alliance for Yolanda Victims – also trooped to New York to give a voice and express solidarity with the frontline communities that are affected the most by the impact of climate change.

Led by the International League of Peoples’ Struggle, they did not mince words in calling for a comprehensive solution to the global crisis: “System Change, not Climate Change!”

Only through this collective uprising of the peoples of the world, especially the grassroots and frontline communities, can our voices be heard and the change we need be advanced.

Dr Efleda Bautista, a retired teacher in Tacloban who is the august chairperson of People Surge, said, “We enjoin the world to join us in holding accountable the PH national government under President Noynoy Aquino, alongside the top polluter countries such as the United States that continue to worsen the climate crisis we face on a daily basis.”

In my eyes, the Filipino contingent rising tall in unison with the 4-mile People’s Climate March in New York captured the vibrant spirit of People Power. Only through this collective uprising of the peoples of the world, especially the grassroots and frontline communities, can our voices be heard and the change we need be advanced.

That this is just the beginning is very much clear to all of us who organized PCMs around the world. So long as climate injustice persists, climate criminals avoid accountability, and the sustainable future of all is threatened: Expect us. – Rappler.com

Leon Dulce is the current campaign coordinator of the Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE). 

iSpeak is Rappler’s platform for sharing ideas, sparking discussions, and taking action! Share your iSpeak articles with us: move.ph@rappler.com.

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